Actually, I once had a problem in Windows where the system really did ask me to select an application when I double-clicked an .exe.
Don't remember what I did to get the problem or how I got rid of it, but it can happen.

I don't think it's that coolkid123 doesn't know how to use a computer, I think it's that he knows slightly too much about how to use a computer, so he's managed to get Windows into the lauditory "there's no file association for .exe" state.

Actually, I once had a problem in Windows where the system really did ask me to select an application when I double-clicked an .exe.
Don't remember what I did to get the problem or how I got rid of it, but it can happen.

I don't think it's that coolkid123 doesn't know how to use a computer, I think it's that he knows slightly too much about how to use a computer, so he's managed to get Windows into the lauditory "there's no file association for .exe" state.

Ah yes, the old "knowledge without understanding" problem. Someone who is just nerdy enough to start fiddling with things but not nerdy enough to try actually understanding it (or using google before bothering the developer)...

It's called "Monkey testing", and Theo should have heard of it if he's working in QA.

Edit: or even if he isn't.

I used to call it "monkey emulator". Back in the late 80's I was part of a team developing DOS serial communication software and this was a standard testing procedure. Once we reproduced a bug by keeping a key pressed (using a pen cap) while data was continuously sent to the PC.

Re: "My Report Won't Print!" this could be an example of a phenomenon I've observed before and am now dubbing the "Digital Proximity Brainpower Reduction Field" where you take an otherwise intelligent person, place them in front of a computer and watch them become a brainless moron. Now some people are typically brainless morons, but the effect of the field seems to be correlated with how typically intelligent they are, so those who are already morons may not be effected by the field at all. In fact, absolute morons have been observed using computers at levels beyond their natural abilities, due to the fact that they don't realize they're too stupid to make decent use of one. (See also: "Wiley Coyote runs off a cliff" and "Don't look down!")

Those who are typically intelligent and manage to thwart the effects of the field are destined to become IT/IS people (though, I've observed that on rare occasions, even the best among us can temporarily fall victim to the field if we let our guards down).

a) I want to know what link was sent to coolkid123 - or, maybe I don't...

b) Two ways I react to people like coolkid123 - either just say 'pardon' until they type proper English, or reply with total gibberish (without vowels) and act surprised that they can't understand you.

Since the digits are separated by dashes, I have to assume they represent dates not times? So the tester did monkey testing from 17 November to 1 December? But seriously, I'd love to build a robot to do random monkey testing like this... and a stack of disposable keyboards...

In the information security world we specifically do such testing, only it is done a little more scientifically, we call it fuzzing, basically we have a program that generates various patterns and just random data and we feed it into each possible input. This includes sending keycodes to emulate keyboard input if it is a valid input.

I fail to see the difference between the amazing local talent in a small, rural town and the amazing local talent in a large, rural town. Let alone the amazing global talent in a global, urban farm of the sort normally featured on this site.

I used to call it "monkey emulator". Back in the late 80's I was part of a team developing DOS serial communication software and this was a standard testing procedure. Once we reproduced a bug by keeping a key pressed (using a pen cap) while data was continuously sent to the PC.

We used to call it line noise emulator, back when curses(3) programs ruled our lives and a modem was the zenith of connectivity. We just piped a random character stream into any interactive program and waited for it to crash. Try it with your favorite interactive cmd line app (e.g. vi without X windows). Don't forget to sandbox it, since a random string might contain "!rm -rf /".

Frank's on the ball. Note that he's already arranging to meet Jennifer. Bethany, on the other hand, is married, so he's adding $$$ to the total. We can't see Kadie's profile, but it's safe to assume that she just doesn't do it for Frank.

Actually, I once had a problem in Windows where the system really did ask me to select an application when I double-clicked an .exe.
Don't remember what I did to get the problem or how I got rid of it, but it can happen.

I have, too. It was a really annoying virus. I think I finally got to a usable system with some steps followed at a website, then used combofix to scrub the system.

Either that, or the person stupidly de-associated all exe files with the OS launcher.

Actually, I once had a problem in Windows where the system really did ask me to select an application when I double-clicked an .exe.
Don't remember what I did to get the problem or how I got rid of it, but it can happen.

Sockatume:

I don't think it's that coolkid123 doesn't know how to use a computer, I think it's that he knows slightly too much about how to use a computer, so he's managed to get Windows into the lauditory "there's no file association for .exe" state.

Actually there are some viruses that attach themselves by being the default program called to run .exe files (like Notepad is the default for .txt). I had this kind of virus once; it took me a while to figure out how the virus started every time I ran a program.

Now, if you deleted that virus and the entry is still in the registry, Windows won't be able to find the program and ask you how to run an .exe.

So, my thinking is, either he deleted a virus manually, or his virus scanner didn't clean up the registry entry.

Frank's on the ball. Note that he's already arranging to meet Jennifer. Bethany, on the other hand, is married, so he's adding $$$ to the total. We can't see Kadie's profile, but it's safe to assume that she just doesn't do it for Frank.

I see, you're saying Frank is NOT actually the "Amazing local talent" referred to.

I used to call it "monkey emulator". Back in the late 80's I was part of a team developing DOS serial communication software and this was a standard testing procedure. Once we reproduced a bug by keeping a key pressed (using a pen cap) while data was continuously sent to the PC.

We used to call it line noise emulator, back when curses(3) programs ruled our lives and a modem was the zenith of connectivity. We just piped a random character stream into any interactive program and waited for it to crash. Try it with your favorite interactive cmd line app (e.g. vi without X windows). Don't forget to sandbox it, since a random string might contain "!rm -rf /".

If sandbox don't work and PC won't start anymore, call me, ill install new windows 7 home premiom for $10.

Actually, I once had a problem in Windows where the system really did ask me to select an application when I double-clicked an .exe.
Don't remember what I did to get the problem or how I got rid of it, but it can happen.

Some old viruses caused that to happen by hooking into a DLL so they would run every time you tried to run a program. That allowed them to infect said program. When you removed the virus, the link was broken so you couldn't run anything.

I fail to see the difference between the amazing local talent in a small, rural town and the amazing local talent in a large, rural town. Let alone the amazing global talent in a global, urban farm of the sort normally featured on this site.

Oh wait, I see the difference: the number of digits in the prices.

That's what I was thinking.

I grew up in a small town, and you just have easier access to people who are that tech illiterate. People welcome you into their homes if you live in the same small town as they do. Everyone is a 2 minute drive away. So, all I see is someone living up to the needs of the community. Maybe the guy is more skilled than we can tell.

He assumed the person needing to uninstall their video card physically did so and the machine still registered the card. From reading it, I can tell it's likely they didn't remove the card.

Jennifer can't find the drivers. Not his fault.

Bethany can't afford $30 to change her backlighting.

Bethany identified Windows Defender as a virus.

The amazing talent didn't see a problem difficult, didn't claim to be amazing (just cheap and honest, which we find out is true), and lives in an area with naive people (which also live in cities in hordes).

We don't see the tech illiterate in big cities because they just all bring their problems to Best Buy and pay $500 for a $50 job.

Actually, I once had a problem in Windows where the system really did ask me to select an application when I double-clicked an .exe.
Don't remember what I did to get the problem or how I got rid of it, but it can happen.

Some old viruses caused that to happen by hooking into a DLL so they would run every time you tried to run a program. That allowed them to infect said program. When you removed the virus, the link was broken so you couldn't run anything.

If they were DLL injecting, everything would crash.
If Windows is asking how to run the program, there's a lingering registry entry.

I fail to see the difference between the amazing local talent in a small, rural town and the amazing local talent in a large, rural town. Let alone the amazing global talent in a global, urban farm of the sort normally featured on this site.

Oh wait, I see the difference: the number of digits in the prices.

That's what I was thinking.

I grew up in a small town, and you just have easier access to people who are that tech illiterate. People welcome you into their homes if you live in the same small town as they do. Everyone is a 2 minute drive away. So, all I see is someone living up to the needs of the community. Maybe the guy is more skilled than we can tell.

He assumed the person needing to uninstall their video card physically did so and the machine still registered the card. From reading it, I can tell it's likely they didn't remove the card.

Jennifer can't find the drivers. Not his fault.

Bethany can't afford $30 to change her backlighting.

Bethany identified Windows Defender as a virus.

The amazing talent didn't see a problem difficult, didn't claim to be amazing (just cheap and honest, which we find out is true), and lives in an area with naive people (which also live in cities in hordes).

We don't see the tech illiterate in big cities because they just all bring their problems to Best Buy and pay $500 for a $50 job.

You missed the part where he offered to install a pirated OS for ten bucks.

It is a sad day reading the post where apparently Bethany has to wait for her husband to get a bonus check to afford a $20 fix. Also sad that on a apparently public forum a computer tech will offer to install a "new" copy of Win 7 for $10. We know this stuff happens but please be smart enough not to broadcast it on public forums, gesh.

I have to say on this one I actually blame the tech a bit. I've done a lot of support in my time and the very first thing you learn to do in any call is find out exactly what is happening. "My report won't print" could mean any number of things. Maybe nothing is coming out, maybe they get an error, or maybe it's spitting out blank pages. Now obviously you don't expect "it's actually printing but the totals are wrong", and clearly the person calling is an idiot, but you can't troubleshoot until you know what's actually happening. And anyone who's been in tech support for more than a week knows you can't take the caller's initial description literally. They summarize incorrectly, they paraphrase error messages poorly (in the unlikely event that they actually read them) and sometimes they lie.

The broken .exe thing happens with a couple of those fake antivirus programs, I had to clear a few up between 2008-2010. The cleaner program wouldn't fix the associations automatically but we had a script that would fix them. Can't remember where we got the fix, but I kept it on my flash drive for years even after I left that job.

Actually, I once had a problem in Windows where the system really did ask me to select an application when I double-clicked an .exe.
Don't remember what I did to get the problem or how I got rid of it, but it can happen.

As a few others pointed out, this is usually caused by a virus; if I recall correctly, its the "FakeAV" rogueware series (WinFixer/Windows Protector/WinAntiVirus/AVGold/Antivirus 360/MacaFree/etc) that will do this. It's usually caused by attempting to remove the virus, but sometimes happens right after infection (your best bet cleaning it is to just do a classic "backup, reinstall, restore" maneuver, it's simply faster).
It's quite common; working PC repair, I've made at least a few grand total off this one alone, usually stemming from the question, "What do I need to open Program X with to install it?"
It has hundreds of other names, and variants on the same idea (CyberDefender/DoubleMySpeed/MyCleanPC/FinallyFast/STOPsign) are still circulating. What a mess..

It never ceases to amaze me the number of people too stupid to figure out that power-cycling the screen is not the same as power-cycling the system, but who can somehow manage to complete a 4-page list of registry hacks to run their pirated copy of $latestgame